The UTMB Newsroom

The University of Texas Medical Branch

Search

Anderson selected dean of medicine

October 26, 2006

FOR RELEASE: Oct. 26, 2006

GALVESTON, Texas — Dr. Garland D. Anderson has been selected dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, President John D. Stobo announced today. His appointment is effective immediately.

Anderson, who was serving as interim dean, has led UTMB’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology for 17 years. During his tenure, the department has consistently ranked among the top 20 in National Institutes of Health research funding, and most recently was ranked fourth in the nation. He holds the Jennie Sealy Smith Distinguished Chair in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

"The appointment of Garland Anderson as dean is a significant step for UTMB,” Stobo said. “He is a demonstrated leader, clinician and educator with the ability to think creatively about how we can successfully fulfill our many missions in today’s health care environment.”

“Dr. Anderson also brings a deep commitment to the study and practice of medicine, and the ability to bring about greater cooperation, accountability, and innovation,” Stobo said. “As the author and co-author of more than 102 scientific publications, his research credentials are impressive.” Anderson is recognized for his study of adult consequences of fetal disease and in finding ways to reduce racial disparities in pregnancy outcomes.

“I am humbled and honored by the opportunity to lead the School of Medicine at this pivotal time,” Anderson said.

“Our situation is not without parallel in UTMB history,” he added. “In 1891, Dr. John Fannin Paine, our first dean of medicine, said: ‘We are in the dawn of a new era of history in medicine in this country and our regents, imbued with a spirit of patriotism, professionalism, pride and progress, have organized this school….in line with leading medical colleges…..Its standards shall never trail in the dust.’”

Dean Paine and Dean William Spencer Carter -- who led the growth of UTMB after the storms of 1900 and 1915 -- are examples of formidable leadership, Anderson said.

“It is my hope that I can lead the School of Medicine with equal vision and determination,” he said.

Anderson came to UTMB in 1989 from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine where he served as professor, director of resident education, and chief of the Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He earned his medical degree from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine and completed residency training at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston followed by a fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

At UTMB, Anderson expanded a 12-clinic satellite program into the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department’s Regional Maternal and Child Health Program , an outreach network of 30 clinic sites that serve woman and children from more than 123 counties in South, Southeast and East Texas. These clinics have more than 300,000 patient visits annually.

Anderson served as chairman of UTMB’s medical service, research and development plan from 1990 to 1994. Under his leadership, the group increased collections from $34 million to $70 million and secured $8 million in reimbursements for clinical departments for indigent care services. As chairman of the plan, Anderson was responsible for UTMB’s primary care clinics, management of University Hospital clinics and the physicians billing service. He also instituted cost saving measures that resulted in a rebate of $4 million to the appropriate medical departments over a two-year period.

This year Texas Monthly named Anderson a “Texas Super Doc.” Previously he was included in the Best Doctors in America, and named a “Best Doctor for Women” by Good Housekeeping magazine. He has received numerous awards, including the Nicholas and Katherine Leone Award for Administrative Excellence at UTMB and the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine Award for Research Excellence.

A strong advocate for women’s and children’s health, Anderson is active in his profession at the national level. He is a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, has served as board member and president of the Society of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, and is the current president of the Council of University Chairs in Obstetrics and Gynecology. From May 2003 to March 2006, he was steering committee chair of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s Maternal-Fetal Units Network.
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Public Affairs Office
301 University Boulevard, Suite 3.102
Galveston, Texas 77555-0144www.utmb.edu